UC-NRLF 


1*1 


• 


NORMAL  TRAINING 


OF  THE  CHI!  D 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

Class 


THE 

NORMAL   TRAINING 
OF  THE  CHILD 


MADISON   ASHLEY   HART 

\\ 


CHRISTIAN  PUBLISHING   COMPANY 
ST.  LOUIS,  MO. 


THE 

UNIVERSITY 


H 


Copyright,  1906. 
Christian   Publishing   Company. 


L  a  ioi 

H  3 


CONTENTS. 


A  FOREWORD         ..." 7 

THE  PROPER  FUNCTION  OF  EDUCATION     ...        9 
THE  STRATEGIC  EDUCATIONAL  PERIODS    .  .      18 

a.  Childhood. 

b.  Adolescence. 

THE  HIGHER  MINISTRY  OF  THE  BIBLE  SCHOOL       .      35 

a.  The  Teacher. 

b.  The  Curriculum. 


177133 


A  FOREWORD. 

At  the  genesis  of  our  discussion  a  foreword  of 
explanation  is  perhaps  necessary  and  advisable. 

In  this  busy,  progressive,  epoch-making  age,  that 
man  is  a  dilettante,  who  either  reads,  writes  or  talks 
for  the  mere  thought  of  discussion.  We  should  be 
profoundly  thankful  that  we  are  fast  moving  away 
from  the  thought  of  simply  seeking  truth  for  truth's 
sake,  studying  art  for  art's  sake,  or  achieving  prog- 
ress for  fame's  sake.  It  is  now  for  life's  sake  and 
man's  sake  that  we  use  the  microscope  and  tele- 
scope, the  scalpel  of  the  surgeon,  the  atom  of  the 
scientist,  the  brush  of  the  artist.  Geology,  astron- 
omy, philosophy,  psychology,  as  well  as  religion 
must  bear  a  vital  relation  to  man  before  they  can 
perform  their  highest  service  in  the  working  out  of 
the  eternal  purpose.  It  is  wise  then  to  couple  our 
dreaming  with  soldiering,  our  praying  with  plan- 
ning, our  worship  with  working. 

Our  purpose  is  not  to  rattle  the  dry  bones  of 
either  a  past  or  present  theology.  Rather  is  it  to 
clothe  these  bones  with  flesh,  put  into  them  warm 


8  A  FOREWORD 

red  blood  and  breathe  into  them  the  breath  of  life.  It 
is  almost  a  waste  of  time  and  talent  to  study  either 
science  or  theology  merely  to  be  scientific.  Per- 
haps it  is  scientific  for  a  German  professor  to  spend 
his  entire  life  in  the  exploitation  of  the  preposition 
eirt,  but  the  common  sense  and  sane  judgment  of 
enlightened  Christendom  will  pronounce  such  suc- 
cess a  failure.  Let  all  things  be  used  with  special 
reference  to  man.  This  is  the  plan  of  God.  It  is  a 
hard  plan  to  improve  upon. 


UNIVERSITY 


or 


THE  PROPER  FUNCTION  OF  EDUCATION. 

The  subject  has  three  key  words.  These  will  be 
used  to  unlock  the  doors  into  our  house  of  study. 
What  we  say  will  be  directly  related  to  these  words : 
education,  the  child,  the  Bible  School.  It  is  not 
the  province  of  this  lecture  to  deal  primarily  and 
fundamentally  with  the  educational  problem.  And 
yet  when  we  would  talk  or  write  suggestively  and 
intelligently  of  the  child,  and  the  child's  relation  to 
the  school,  the  thought  of  education  becomes  close, 
vital  and  necessary.  We  must  also  realize  that  the 
child  was  not  made  for  the  school  but  the  school 
for  the  child.  And  the  natural  and  normal  answer 
for  the  school's  existence  is  for  the  purpose  of  edu- 
cation. What  then  is  the  function  of  education? 
"Education,"  says  President  Butler,  of  Columbia, 
"is  the  adaptation  of  a  person,  a  self-conscious  be- 
ing, to  environment  and  the  development  of  capacity 
in  a  person  to  modify  or  control  that  environment. 
It  is  first  a  matter  of  principles  and  second  a  matter 
of  methods."  "To  prepare  us  for  complete  living 
is  the  function  which  education  has  to  discharge," 


io  NORMAL  TRAINING 

says  Herbert  Spencer,  "and  the  only  rational  mode 
of  judging  of  any  educational  course,  is  to  judge  in 
what  degree  it  discharges  such  a  function."  "The 
object  of  education,"  says  Froebel,  the  patron  saint 
of  childhood,  "is  the  development  of  the  human  be- 
ing in  the  totality  of  his  powers  as  a  child  of  na- 
ture, a  child  of  man  and  a  child  of  God.  This  edu- 
cation should  be  conducted  according  to  nature,  and 
should  be  a  free  spontaneous  growth — a  develop- 
ment from  within,  never  a  prescription  from  with- 
out." While  neither  one  of  these  definitions  may 
be  immune  to  criticism,  nevertheless  we  must  admit 
that  whether  taken  alone  or  collectively,  we  at  least 
have  a  clearer  conception  of  education.  All  things 
considered  I  prefer  the  last  one  given.  With  his 
love  for  children  and  the  vigorous  and  intelligent 
fight  he  made  to  secure  a  higher  appreciation  of  the 
value  of  the  child  from  the  educational  point  of  view, 
it  is  not  strange  that  the  people  of  Thuringia  have 
chiseled  the  name  Froebel  in  the  solid  rock  in  the 
face  of  the  cliff  overhanging  the  bridle  path  of  his 
beloved  mountain.  Better  still,  his  name  is  written 
not  on  tables  of  stone,  that  shall  one  day  be  dis- 
solved by  the  elemental  forces,  but  deep  in  the  heart 


OF  THE  CHILD.  n 

of  an  intelligent  educational  system  that  will  out- 
live all  earthly  glory,  all  earthly  grandeur. 

To  divide  education  into  the  secular  and  the 
sacred,  is  an  anomaly:  to  develop  the  body  and 
mind,  and  leave  the  spirit  undeveloped,  is  to  miss 
the  divine  thought  of  proportion.  In  truth,  in  God's 
analysis,  I  feel  quite  sure  all  things  are  sacred. 
Nothing  is  secular.  Without  entering  into  either 
the  physiological  or  psychological  study  of  the  ques- 
tion, I  believe  we  may  safely  affirm  the  body,  mind 
and  spirit  constitute  the  educational  trinity  for  our 
Bible  schools,  as  well  as  for  our  public  schools,  col- 
leges, universities.  Unite  with  this  another  trinity, 
namely,  man  considered  as  a  child  of  nature,  a  child 
of  man  and  a  child  of  God,  and  we  will  develop  a 
being  not  only  able  to  modify,  understand  and  con- 
trol his  environment,  but  an  individual  developed  in 
all  his  parts  for  complete  living.  For  then  he  will 
realize  that  the  proper  and  only  legitimate  function 
of  education  is  to  serve  and  that  the  fine  art  of  liv- 
ing is  to  know  how  to  give  a  life  that  has  been  edu- 
cated according  to  the  divine  plan  and  for  a  divine 
purpose. 

One  of  the  fundamental  facts  in  our  govern- 


12  NORMAL  TRAINING 

mental  life  is  the  separation  of  church  and  state.  I 
am  not  here  to  discuss  whether  "A  government  of 
the  people,  by  the  people,  and  for  the  people,"  log- 
ically demands  such  a  divorcement.  True  or  false, 
right  or  wrong,  wise  or  foolish,  logical  or  illogical, 
it  is  just  such  a  condition  we  face.  It  is  a  fact  in 
history  and  experience.  It  may  be  our  strength. 
It  can  be  our  weakness.  This  at  least  is  true  if  we 
are  to  have  religious  education  in  the  United  States 
it  must  come  from  some  source  within  the  state, 
and  not  the  state  per  se.  We  may  be  able  to  see 
this  thought  in  a  more  concise  and  helpful  way  by 
comparison.  England  believes  it  to  be  both  wise 
and  necessary  to  combine  culture  and  religion, 
believing  religion  to  be  a  normal  and  necessary 
part  of  all  true  education.  In  her  Public  Board 
Schools  she  gives  religious  instruction  to  nearly 
as  many  children  as  attend  the  schools  of  the  Church 
of  England.  About  all  the  interest  France  takes 
in  the  religious  instruction  of  her  children  is  the 
Thursday  holiday.  On  this  day  the  churches  are 
expected,  or  at  least  afforded,  an  opportunity  to 
give  religious  instruction.  But  when  we  come  to 
study  the  German  educational  system  we  find  that 


OF   THH   CHILD. 13 

while  nearly  all  schools  are  under  government 
control,  they  are  nevertheless  peculiarly  religious. 
The  principal  function  of  the  German  school  is 
officially  declared  to  be  the  making  of  "God-fearing, 
patriotic,  self-supporting  citizens."  And  believing 
these  results  can  not  be  secured  without  and  apart 
from  religion,  four  or  five  hours  per  week  of  reli- 
gious instruction  are  required  in  every  German 
school  by  the  Cultus  Minister.  And  while  every 
teacher  receives  training  along  religious  lines,  only 
those  teach  who  are  best  fitted  in  character,  temper- 
ament, acquirement. 

In  the  United  States,  Protestantism  and  Democ- 
racy combined  have  declared  for  the  separation 
of  church  and  state.  This  means  that  religion 
must  look  to  some  other  source  than  the  state  for 
a  sponsor.  While  we  may  now  consider  this  detri- 
mental, perhaps  at  some  future  time  we  may  find 
it  providential.  But  such  a  conclusion  will  not 
come  from  this  neglect  on  the  part  of  the  state. 
It  can  only  be  a  living  fact  when  our  homes,  our 
churches,  our  Bible  schools  and  our  religious  and 
educational  institutions  do  better  work  than  that 
which  has  been  done  or  can  be  done  by  the  state. 


i4  NORMAL  TRAINING 

Whatever  relation  the  church  sustains  to  the  state, 
the  time  will  never  come  when  the  church  can  for- 
get her  work  in  the  proper  education  of  the  indi- 
vidual citizen.  She  sustains  a  close  and  vital  rela- 
tion to  all  education,  whether  in  public  or  private 
schools.  For  whenever  education  in  public  schools, 
colleges,  universities  and  professional  and  tech- 
nical schools  becomes  commercial,  materialistic  and 
non-Christian,  we  may  look  for  a  decline  in  morals 
and  the  entombment  of  the  soul's  ideals.  Christian 
culture  is  both  the  saviour  of  the  individual  and  the 
state.  All  institutions  of  learning  miss  the  mark 
and  fail  to  reach  the  true  educational  goal  unless 
instruction  becomes  Christo-centric.  "It  is  not  re- 
ligion and  education ;  but  religion  in  education." 
It  is  not  enough  for  our  schools  and  colleges  to 
send  out  young  men  who  are  able  to  tunnel  moun- 
tains, bridge  oceans,  bring  down  the  lightning  and 
make  it  do  service  for  man,  invent  wireless  and 
magical  means  of  communication.  Are  they  able 
to  rightly  divide  the  true  from  the  false,  the  eternal 
from  the  ephemeral?  Where  do  they  put  first 
emphasis — in  the  making  of  money  or  the  making  of 
man?  Do  they  believe  character  is  greater  than 


OF    THE   CHILD. 15 

currency,  or  that  currency  is  to  be  secured  even 
at  the  expense  of  character?  It  will  only  be  a 
short  time  until  there  will  be  a  consensus  (of  opinion) 
that  the  culture  of  the  twentieth  century  or  any 
century  needs  and  must  have  the  Gospel  of  the 
first  century.  To  be  educated  according  to  the  di- 
vine plan  is  to  be  developed  symmetrically,  "in 
the  totality  of  being."  Modern  Samsons  and  in- 
tellectual Frankensteins  are  not  the  true  products  of 
Christian  civilization  and  Christian  nurture. 
But  such  human  monsters  will  spring  from 
our  modern  educational  institutions,  like  Mi- 
nerva from  the  brow  of  Jupiter,  unless  the 
influence  of  Christianity  is  felt  in  home,  school, 
church.  Although,  in  the  language  of  Sabatier, 
man  may  be  incurably  religious,  he  is  nevertheless 
capable  of  abnormal  development.  And  while  ab- 
normal development  may  not  wholly  obscure  the 
religious  vision,  the  result  is  almost  as  bad  and 
deleterious.  Since  the  state  has  given  the  religious 
training  of  the  child,  adolescent  and  adult,  over  to 
the  home,  church  and  church  schools,  do  we  not 
realize  that  this  naturally  and  necessarily  places  a 
great  responsibility  upon  the  Bible  schools?  Per- 


16  NORMAL   TRAINING 

haps  it  is  well  that  the  burden  of  religious  instruc- 
tion, if  we  may  call  so  high  and  holy  a  privilege  a 
burden,  is  placed  just  where  it  is.  This  may  be 
the  spur  of  necessity  to  drive  us  on  to  that  kind  of 
preparation  which  does  not  expend  all  energy,  en- 
thusiasm, fervor  in  pious  exhortation  and  tearful 
entreaties,  which  are  necessary  and  have  a  place  in 
the  curriculum,  but  rather  to  that  thorough,  com- 
plete, symmetrical  development  which  makes  re- 
ligion the  natural  and  necessary  complement  to 
science,  art,  ethics,  aesthetics.  In  other  words,  to 
make  all  other  things  lead  toward  and  be  a  help  in 
the  highest  culture — soul-culture.  Christianity 
which  Christ  lived  and  taught  is  not  something  to 
be  taken  off  and  put  on  again  as  we  do  a  hat  or  a 
coat.  The  Christian  boy  and  the  Christian  man 
are  not  abnormally  developed.  Rather  are  they  the 
only  truly  developed  people  in  the  universe  of  God. 
When  we  think  enough  of  the  Bible  school  to  equip 
it  with  buildings  suitable  and  teachers  thoroughly 
prepared  in  mind,  spirit,  character,  then  we  will  be 
able  to  make  Christianity  the  savior  of  not  only  the 
individual  but  also  society — the  true  test  of  religion. 
The  Bible  school,  like  an  individual,  must  have  a 


OP    THE   CHILD.  17 

certain  self-respect.  This  will  give  it.  It  will  also 
command  the  respect  of  teachers  and  pupils;  the 
admiration  of  friends,  aliens,  enemies. 

Our  thought  is  this,  that  education  to  be  full, 
complete,  symmetrical,  must  be  Christian — intelli- 
gently Christian.  Is  it  not  then  logical,  pedagog- 
ical and  common-sense  to  begin  where  maximum 
good  can  be  accomplished  with  minimum  effort, 
where  we  can  form  and  thus  make  it  unnecessary 
to  reform?  In  other  words,  we  consider  it  sane, 
sensible,  as  well  as  Christian,  to  begin  with  the 
child. 


18  NORMAL  TRAINING 


THE  STRATEGIC  EDUCATIONAL 
PERIODS. 

a.  Childhood. 

b.  Adolescence. 

How  often  we  quote  the  classic  speech  of  Ter- 
ence: "I  am  a  man  and  nothing  of  man  is  foreign 
to  me."  Let  us  give  this  a  new  setting  and  a  new 
and  better  interpretation :  I  am  a  child  and  nothing 
that  relates  to  the  proper  development,  happiness, 
usefulness  of  the  child  will  I  deem  of  small  im- 
portance to  me.  In  our  deification  of  the  adult  let 
us  not  have  our  eyes  holden  to  childhood.  If  there 
is  to  be  an  apotheosis  of  anybody,  just  human,  let 
it  be  neither  Caesar  on  his  throne  nor  the  adult  with 
habits  and  ideals  pretty  well  fixed  and  set.  Rather 
let  us  place  the  crown  where  it  belongs,  where  the 
Great  Teacher  put  it.  "Verily  I  say  unto  you,  who- 
soever shall  not  receive  the  kingdom  of  heaven  as 
a  little  child  can  not  enter  therein."  It  is  the  child 
who  stands  as  the  best  and  truest  representative  of 
the  race,  as  well  as  the  being  closest  related  to  the 
ideal  of  humanity.  "Childhood,"  says  G.  Stanley 


OP   THE   CHILD. 19 

Hall,  "is  the  very  best  period  of  human  life;  then 
all  human  faculties  are  at  their  best ;  it  is  the  para- 
dise from  which  the  growth  is  always  more  or  less 
of  a  fall.  Wordsworth  was  right  when  he  spoke  of 
the  child  as  coming  from  a  far  country  with  par- 
tial forgetfulness."  Joseph  was  neither  the  first 
nor  last  child  sinned  against.  In  his  case  that  one 
who  should  have  been  the  best  friend  proved  the 
best  enemy.  If  the  old  order  of  things  is  to  be  done 
away  and  new  and  better  methods  substituted,  the 
work  must  be  done  by  wiser  folks  than  Joseph's 
brother  Reuben,  who  for  safety  put  the  lad  in  the 
pit  and  upon  his  return  found  the  brother  he  would 
have  saved  already  sold  into  slavery.  The  home 
and  the  Bible  school  ought  to  be  these  true,  faithful 
and  thoughtful  friends.  But  ofttimes  both  are  crim- 
inally careless  and  coldly  indifferent  as  to  who 
teaches,  and  the  character  of  the  impressions  that 
are  made  upon  the  growing  child.  It  is  sad  and  al- 
most sacrilegious  to  see  many  fathers  and  mothers 
placidly  content  to  give  over  the  training  of  the 
child  to  others,  and  strangers  at  that.  Perhaps 
they  do  not  realize  "It  is  the  evening  lamp  that  is 
the  home's  lighthouse."  And  if  this  lamp  is  to  be 


20  NORMAL  TRAINING 

kept  trimmed  and  burning,  it  must  be  done  by  the 
parents — those  who  stand  closest  to  the  light  and 
who  ought  to  appreciate  its  value  the  most.  Is  it 
any  wonder  the  child  gradually  loses  the  home  feel- 
ing and  begins  to  strain  if  not  to  break  the  home 
ties?  It  was  the  unfeigned  faith  that  dwelt  first  in 
the  grandmother  Lois  and  the  mother  Eunice  that 
Paul  found  as  one  of  the  dominant  forces  in  the 
young  man  Timothy.  It  is  a  hopeful  sign  when 
we  see  home  and  school  working  upon  the  hypo- 
thesis if  a  child  be  trained  in  the  way  he  should 
go,  that  when  he  is  old  he  will  not  depart  from  it. 
Of  course  there  are  many  exceptions.  At  least  there 
are  some  exceptions.  But  these  rather  confirm 
than  invalidate  the  precept.  I  do  not  believe  that 
our  very  best  modern  methods  found  in  our  most 
progressive  and  efficient  Bible  schools,  however 
sane  and  pedagogical  they  may  be,  can  be  adequate 
and  sufficient  reason  for  either  the  neglect  or  aboli- 
tion of  home  training  and  home  culture.  The  true, 
wise,  thoughtful  parent  will  never  be  willing  to  give 
all  the  child's  education  to  others,  even  though  they 
be  thoroughly  prepared  in  mind,  methods,  in  heart 
and  life.  The  unpreparedness  of  many  parents  may 


OP   THE   CHILD.  21 

make  it  necessary  to  give  the  major  portion  even 
of  the  religious  nurture  over  to  others.  But  even 
when  this  is  the  case  there  can  be  a  home  atmos- 
phere created  by  the  parents.  The  home  ozone 
can  be  made  spiritual  and  wholesome  even  by  the 
uneducated.  This  ought  not,  and  can  not  with 
safety,  be  neglected. 

If  it  be  both  sad  and  sinful  for  parents  to  neg- 
lect the  child,  what  shall  we  say  of  the  Bible  school  ? 
This  brings  us  once  more  to  the  question  of  educa- 
tion. We  have  seen  that  education  to  be  full,  com- 
plete, normal  and  entirely  satisfactory,  must  be 
Christian.  If  so,  then  the  Bible  school,  which  is  the 
church's  school,  must  play  an  important,  yes,  the 
prominent  part,  in  this  educational  development. 
To  neglect  it  entirely  is  unthinkable,  if  not  criminal ; 
to  be  content  with  the  superficial,  if  not  artificial, 
means  and  methods,  is  a  tacit  acceptance  of  the  me- 
diocre value  of  the  school,  or  else  perfect  willing- 
ness to  let  the  child  have  poor  training  in  religion 
when  no  such  thought  would  be  considered  or  tol- 
erated for  a  moment  if  it  related  to  the  education 
received  in  the  public  school.  This  it  is,  my  friends, 
I  consider  one  of  the  dangers  confronting  us,  for 


22  NORMAL   TRAINING 

it  helps  the  child  to  feel  that  after  all,  even  with  our 
loudest  protestations,  religion  is  not  much  worth 
while.  Else  better  preparation  would  be  made  and 
more  time  given  to  it.  We  may  not  intend  that  this 
shall  be  the  child's  deduction,  but  the  results  are 
just  as  bad  as  if  we  meant  it.  Now,  in  all  candor 
and  seriousness,  have  we  a  right  to  blame  and  criti- 
cize the  child  if  a  small  valuation  be  placed  upon 
things  religious,  when  we  are  partially,  if  not  whol- 
ly, responsible? 

Perhaps  the  first  great  need  is  a  knowledge  of 
the  child,  at  least  an  attempt  to  know,  and  an  in- 
telligent, sincere,  painstaking  attempt  at  that.  In 
the  use  of  the  term  child  it  may  be  well  for  us  to 
thoroughly  understand  each  other.  It  is  quite  gen- 
erally conceded  and  admitted  there  are  three  pe- 
riods in  life  prior  to  the  adult  life,  or  completed 
physical  development :  infancy,  from  birth  until  six ; 
childhood,  from  six  to  ten  or  twelve;  adolescence, 
from  ten  or  twelve  to  well  developed  manhood  and 
womanhood.  These  three  periods  may  be  thought  of 
in  this  way:  First,  the  age  of  instinct;  second,  the 
age  of  habits ;  third,  the  age  of  ideals.  Childhood  is 
the  age  of  conscience  unfolding  and  building,  while 


OP   THE   CHILD.  23 

the  adolescent  life  is  the  moment  for  will-training. 
It  is  also  the  time  for  the  awakening  of  the  affec- 
tions. Love  and  friendship  mean  much  at  this  age. 
If  then  habits,  ideals,  conscience,  will,  love  and 
friendship  are  worth  considering  and  developing, 
certainly  childhood  and  adolescence  should  receive 
far  more  attention,  more  thoughtful  consideration 
and  more  careful  training  than  we  are  usually  wont 
to  bestow  upon  them.  For  it  is  then  the  good  and 
the  bad,  the  right  and  the  wrong,  the  high  and  the 
low,  the  noble  and  the  ignoble,  the  selfish  and  the 
unselfish,  receive  their  greatest  set  toward  develop- 
ment. Here  is  where  we  must  come  to  educate 
our  future  workers,  our  princely  givers,  our  Chris- 
tian professional  and  business  men,  and  our  enthusi- 
astic, consecrated  missionaries.  From  a  purely  sci- 
entific and  pedagogic  point  of  view,  our  study 
might  be  limited  to  the  years  between  six  and 
twelve.  But  during  our  present  discussion  let  us 
understand  the  term  child  as  embracing  the  age  of 
habits  and  ideals,  or  from  six  to  the  evening  hour 
of  adolescent  life.  For  our  study  this  will  be  far 
more  practical  and  just  about  as  true  to  scientific 
dictum.  It  is  almost  as  impossible  and  unsatisfac- 


24  NORMAL   TRAINING 

tory  to  study  childhood  by  years  as  to  write  history 
by  centuries. 

In  the  painting  of  Rembrandt  there  is  a  certain 
chiaroscuro — a  blending  and  intermingling  of  lights 
and  shadows.  So  in  our  use  of  the  term  child  there 
will  be  a  blending  of  childhood  and  adolescence. 
Patterson  DuBois,  one  of  the  clearest,  sanest  think- 
ers along  the  line  of  child-study,  says:  "In  his  out- 
look and  in  his  general  mental  methods,  a  child  of 
six  is  further  removed  from  a  child  of  ten  than  a 
child  of  ten  is  from  a  young  man  or  young  woman 
of  twenty."  I  believe  this  is  rather  a  safe,  sane, 
logical  statement.  Upon  this  hypothesis  let  us  pro- 
ceed. Let  childhood  and  adolescence  blend.  They 
do  so  naturally. 

If  the  proper  physical,  mental,  spiritual  training 
be  given  the  growing  child,  the  great  and  startling 
revelations  that  come  with  the  dawning  of  adoles- 
cence, when  there  is  change  in  voice,  in  bodily 
movements,  in  phyiscal,  mental,  spiritual  life,  when 
the  sensitive  feeling  becomes  not  only  acute,  but 
painful,  when  habits  are  reinforced  by  ideals,  when 
every  child  becomes  a  Columbus,  the  discoverer  of 
a  new  world,  the  shock  of  change  will  not  be  as 


OP   THB  CHILD. 25 

great  and  the  adjustment  to  these  things  new  and 
strange  will  be  more  easily,  happily  and  success- 
fully made.  And  when  these  adjustments  are  in- 
telligently and  satisfactorily  made,  we  may  natur- 
ally look  for  a  developed  manhood  and  womanhood 
that  will  be  an  honor  to  the  race,  to  the  home, 
church,  school,  and  merit  the  "well  done"  of  our 
Lord. 

What,  then,  is  our  conception  of  the  child  ?  This 
comes  to  be  the  question  of  transcendant,  paramount 
importance.  Many,  yes,  most  of  us,  are  just  as 
ignorant  of  the  child  as  the  child  is  of  himself. 
"Are  you  brothers?"  kindly  asked  the  superinten- 
dent of  a  boys'  club  in  New  York  City  of  two  little 
men  who  applied  for  membership  in  the  club.  "No, 
sir,"  replied  one  of  the  boys;  "we's  only  twins." 
We  may  laugh  at  the  boy's  answer  respecting  his 
relation  to  the  brother,  but  could  we  answer  in  any 
better  form  if  certain  questions  were  put  to  us? 
The  child  wants  to  know  many  things.  Many  of 
these  we  may  not  and  can  not  answer  satisfactorily, 
with  all  our  training  and  culture.  Some  of  them 
we  ought  to  be  ashamed  not  to  be  able  to  answer. 
Is  the  child  a  degenerate,  perfect,  or  simply  capa- 


26 NORMAL  TRAINING 

ble  of  climbing  high  or  falling  low?  I  am  rather 
inclined  to  the  belief  that  the  child  is  neither  abso- 
lutely good  nor  peculiarly  and  eternally  bad  or  de- 
praved, either  because  of  Adamic  sin  or  any  other 
sin.  Rather  do  I  believe  the  child  is  a  creature  of 
development,  capable  of  reaching  and  climbing, 
either  upward  or  downward.  God  puts  the  child 
here  to  grow  in  wisdom,  in  stature,  in  favor  with 
God  and  man.  What  he  becomes,  he  grows  to,  he 
does  not  jump  to.  And  yet  to  do  this  the  child 
must  live  out  his  life.  "Every  child,"  says  Froebel, 
"must  live  out  completely  every  complete  stage  of 
childhood,  or  he  can  never  develop  into  maturity." 
"It  is  always  well  for  us  to  remember  that  the  tad- 
pole does  not  lose  his  tail  by  shedding,  but  by  ab- 
sorbing it."  It  is  this  that  produces  vigorous 
growth  and  strong  vitality.  It  is  not  God's  plan  for 
the  child  to  reach  maturity  of  body,  mind  and  spirit 
by  one  mighty  leap  upward;  but  to  live  out  in  a 
natural  and  normal  way  the  different  stages,  of 
growth.  It  is  just  here  that  wisdom  in  training 
and  wholesome  environment  are  to  take  the  grow- 
ing child  by  the  hand  and  lead  him  step  by  step 
into  the  Canaan  of  his  dream. 


OF  THE  CHILD.  27 

Granting  the  truth  of  the  scientific  statement 
that  childhood  is  the  age  of  habit  formation,  what, 
then,  is  our  duty — privilege?  Is  it  not  to  help  him 
grow  up  and  not  down  ?  God's  plan  for  man  is  that 
he  shall  walk  with  his  head  among  the  stars  in  com- 
pany with  the  saints.  But  to  do  this  light  must 
drive  out  darkness,  intelligence  must  rout  ignor- 
ance, horse  and  dragoon.  Good  must  be  made  so 
appealing  to  the  child  and  man,  that  evil  will  not 
entice  and  allure.  We  need  to  study  more  care- 
fully, from  a  philosophic  and  psychologic  point  of 
view,  the  life  of  Fra  Angelico.  This  gifted  artist, 
who  painted  for  Christ's  sake  and  not  for  art's 
sake,  neither  for  Angelico's,  looked  so  long  upon 
the  beautiful  and  good  that  he  lost  all  appreciation, 
in  fact  all  knowledge,  of  the  ugly  and  the  bad.  He 
could  paint  Madonnas  and  angels,  but  when  he  en- 
deavored to  put  demons  on  canvas  he  made  an  ab- 
solute failure.  L,et  us  help  the  growing  child  form 
such  love  for  the  true,  the  beautiful,  the  good,  that 
he  will  make  an  ignominious  failure  when  he  tries 
to  be  bad.  You  may  call  this  ideal.  But  it  is  only 
the  ideal  thaj  is  fit  to  be  real. 

Now,  in  passing  to  the  study  of  adolescence,  I 


NORMAL  TRAINING 


want  to  bridge  the  chasm,  if  there  be  one  between 
childhood  and  adolescence,  by  a  statement  from 
Horace  Bushnell,  one  of  New  England's  princely 
thinkers,  whose  thoughts  never  grow  old,  never 
lose  their  vitality :  "The  child  is  to  grow  up  a  Chris- 
tian, and  never  know  himself  as  being  otherwise." 
Now,  I  do  not  mean  we  are  to  accept  the  dictum  of 
Bushnell  in  entirety  as  to  how  this  is  to  be  done. 
A  man's  statement  may  be  true,  his  method  of 
reaching  the  good  may  be  only  partially  true.  Ado- 
lescence is  not  simply  the  age  of  ideals  and  the 
awakening  of  the  affections.  It  is  also  the  age  of 
conversion.  The  correct  formation  of  habits  in 
childhood  and  the  proper  training  and  adjustment 
of  ideals  in  adolescence  produce  a  natural  and  nor- 
mal life,  a  life  that  finds  its  climacteric  moment  in 
the  full  and  complete  surrender  to  the  will  and  love 
of  that  One  who  stands  supreme  in  pedagogy,  in 
ethics,  in  religion. 

The  goal  of  religious  training  and  nurture  is 
salvation ;  but  with  this  thought  of  salvation — saved 
to  serve.  God  wants  us  first  for  our  own  sakes, 
second  for  our  brother's  sake.  It  is^of  supreme 
and  infinite  importance  to  the  teacher  to  know  the 


OP   THE   CHILD. 29 

close  relation  existing  between  adolescence  and 
conversion.  This  is  the  age  of  the  greatest  bodily 
growth,  and  the  age  of  the  greatest  religious  possi- 
bilities. It  is  also  the  age  of  the  greatest  passion, 
when  either  sex  becomes  functionally  capable  of 
generation.  Here  are  some  statements  concerning 
conversion  that  are  almost  axiomatic : 

(i)  "During  the  period  of  most  rapid  bodily 
growth  is  the  time  when  conversion  is  most  likely ; 
(2)  Conversion  and  puberty  tend  to  supplement 
each  other,  rather  than  to  coincide;  but  they  are 
nevertheless  conditional." — Starbuck. 

Let  us  add  here  also  a  word  from  Professor 
Coe:  "The  adolescent  period  is  the  time  when 
choice  is  now  easier  than  at  any  other  time,  either 
before  or  after ;  this  is  the  time  when  the  wise 
church  will  expect  to  reap  its  chief  harvest  of  mem- 
bers.". "It  is  my  habit,  as  a  pastor,"  says  William 
Byron  Forbush,  "to  enroll  my  Sunday-school  in 
divisions  in  the  order  of  maturity,  and  to  endeavor 
that  none  shall  enter  into  or  go  through  adolescence 
without  my  personal  attention."  I  think  perhaps 
the  average  minister  is  a  partial  failure,  a  greater 
failure  than  he  ought  to  be,  just  at  this  point. 


30 NORMAL  TRAINING 

Young  people  do  not  receive  the  intelligent  help, 
friendship  and  sympathy  at  this  critical  moment  in 
life  they  need,  and  by  divine  right  ought  to  have; 
and  because  of  this  neglect  they  are  lost  to  the 
Church,  and  so  far  as  good  works  are  concerned, 
lost  to  the  home  and  state.  Of  course  you  under- 
stand these  changes  due  to  adolescence  do  not  in 
themselves  produce  conversion.  They  are  open 
doors,  strategic  moments,  that  can  be  and  ought  to 
be  used  by  every  teacher  and  minister — yes,  by 
every  father  and  mother,  for  the  glory  of  the  child, 
as  well  as  the  glory  of  the  Good  Father. 

In  a  general  way  we  have  known  the  majority  of 
conversions  to  take  place  between  the  years  of  ten 
and  twenty-five,  but  we  have  not  taken  the  time  to 
know  the  causes,  neither  to  find  out  definitely  and 
accurately  the  maximum  moments  in  conversion. 
Do  we  not  possess  something  tangible,  workable, 
interesting,  when  we  know  there  are  three  pretty 
well  defined  stages,  namely,  from  twelve  to  thirteen, 
from  fifteen  to  seventeen,  with  sixteen  as  the  max- 
imum, and  the  third  stage  at  twenty  ?  But  what  are 
the  maximum  moments  for  boys  and  girls?  Are 
they  identical  ?  Girls  develop  physically,  and  there- 


OP    THH  CHILD. 31 

fore  spiritually,  from  one  to  two  years  earlier  than 
boys.  Therefore  we  find  the  greatest  numbers  of 
conversions  for  girls  at  thirteen  and  fifteen;  for 
boys  sixteen  and  seventeen.  Now,  let  us  remember 
that  physical  development  coincides  with,  and  geni- 
tal development  either  precedes  or  follows,  conver- 
sion, and  yet  sustains  nevertheless  a  close  and  vital 
relation.  Can  we  afford  to  be  without  facts  so  nec- 
essary in  our  work  with  the  growing  child  ?  There 
is  a  spiritual  as  well  as  a  physical  malpractice.  Both 
are  due  to  ignorance.  Both  may  be  pitied.  Neither 
can  be  condoned.  If  in  the  child  we  note  the  rise 
and  growth  of  the  ethical,  it  is  just  as  true  that  in 
the  adolescent  we  note  the  rise  and  growth  of  the 
spiritual.  And  conversion  is  most  likely  to  come 
when  the  mind,  heart  and  will  are  most  susceptible 
to  the  spiritual. 

I  almost  hesitate  to  speak  what  is  in  my  heart  at 
this  point,  but  I  feel  this  word  ought  to  be  spoken. 
Let  me  preface  what  I  shall  say  by  a  word  from 
G.  Stanley  Hall,  perhaps  our  greatest  authority  on 
adolescence:  "The  birthday  of  our  greatest  passion 
is  the  birthday  of  the  greatest  religious  need."  Do 
we  believe  it  ?  I  can  not  see  how  any  sane  man  can 


NORMAL  TRAINING 


help  seeing  the  truth  expressed.  There  are  many 
things  the  boy  and  girl  ought  to  know  that  they 
must  either  learn  through  a  sad  experience  or  from 
lips  polluted  with  ignorance,  coupled  with  sin.  One 
of  the  questions  confronting  the  parent  and  teacher 
is  this,  from  what  source  is  the  adolescent  boy  and 
girl  to  have  the  facts  relating  to  the  changed  life 
due  to  the  age  of  puberty?  From  those  whose 
sense  of  moral  worth  is  perverted  and  who  carica- 
ture the  normal  life  that  God  has  planned  for  each 
soul,  or  from  those  who  know  and  appreciate  and 
who  will  give  such  advice  and  intelligent  help  as 
will  compel  both  boy  and  girl  to  look  upon  all 
bodily  organs  and  functions  as  sacred?  If  the  sad- 
ness and  suffering  of  adult  and  adolescent,  incident 
to  the  perversion  and  misuse  of  these  sacred  gifts 
be  removed,  somebody  must  do  some  sensible,  clear- 
cut  thinking  and  some  plain,  common-sense  talk- 
ing. But  it  must  be  done  without  cant,  without 
mock  modesty.  It  must  be  frank,  straightforward, 
intelligent,  sympathetic.  Grown  men  and  women 
will  arise  and  call  those  blessed  who  are  brave  and 
thoughtful  enough  to  present  these  long  neglected 
truths. 


OP   THE   CHILD. 33 

I  believe  much  of  the  moral  laxity,  the  vulgar 
profanity  and  gross  sensuality  can  be  logically 
traced  to  the  neglect,  sinful  neglect,  of  parents 
and  teachers.  Perhaps  it  might  be  more  appropriate 
to  speak  these  things  at  a  mothers'  and  fathers' 
meeting.  I  believe  the  major  part  of  this  informa- 
tion ought  to  be  imparted  by  the  parents.  Their 
relation  to  the  child  gives  a  better  and  more  natural 
way  of  approach.  "If  the  test  of  the  virtue  of  life 
be  to  produce  and  bring  to  maturity  the  best  chil- 
dren, who  shall  themselves  be  most  prolific  in  body 
and  soul,"  parents  must  both  live  well  and  speak 
frankly  to  the  growing  child.  Although  the  major 
work  along  this  line  may  be  for  parents,  there  is  a 
minor  work  for  the  teacher,  yes,  the  Bible  school 
teacher.  Many  times  from  such  a  source  the  mes- 
sage will  come  vested  with  greater  convincing  and 
convicting  power.  Perhaps  if  we  inform  the  ado- 
lescent it  may  not  be  necessary  to  reform  the  adult. 

At  fourteen  we  are  told  the  Roman  lad  received 
his  toga  virilis,  symbolic  of  the  awakening  man. 
The  great  and  important  work  with  us  is  to  help  him 
come  to  such  natural  and  normal,  physical,  mental 
and  spiritual  development  that  he  will  of  his  own 


34 NORMAL  TRAINING 

accord  gladly  and  gracefully  put  on  the  Christian 
toga — the  seamless  robe  of  history  and  the  divine 
robe  of  immortality.  It  is  now  fitting  and  appro- 
priate to  speak  of  the  Bible  school  in  a  more  direct 
way.  It  is  here  the  lad  receives  not  only  encourage- 
ment to  put  on  the  royal  robe,  but  also  receives 
help  and  inspiration  to  wear  it  honorably. 


OF   THH  CHILD.  35 


THE  HIGHER  MINISTRY  OF  THE 
BIBLE  SCHOOL. 

a.  The  Teacher. 

b.  The  Curriculum. 

There  are  three  names  by  which  we  designate 
and  dignify  the  school  that  has  for  its  high  and  holy 
function  the  religious  training  and  Christian  nur- 
ture of  the  child,  the  adolescent  and  the  adult — the 
Sunday-school,  the  Bible  school  and  the  Church's 
school.  All  are  correct  when  we  consider  the  sub- 
ject from  these  respective  points  of  view.  Sunday- 
school  speaks  the  day;  Bible  school  suggests  the 
curriculum ;  the  Church's  school  names  the  organ- 
ization. This  organization  fosters  and  gives  special 
attention  to  the  culture  and  training  of  that  part  of 
man  which  is  immortal  and  capable  of  daily,  peren- 
nial, eternal  progress.  Although  the  church  is  pe- 
culiarly and  vitally  interested  in  the  proper  educa- 
tion and  development  of  the  spiritual,  this  does  not 
either  suggest  or  imply  she  is  an  enemy  of  physical 
training  and  mental  culture.  Rather  is  the  church 
an  ally  of  all  education  that  seeks  the  highest  good 


36  NORMAL  TRAINING 

of  the  child  and  the  man.  Neither  does  the  church 
believe  the  most  complete  and  satisfying  evolution 
of  the  soul  can  be  obtained  when  the  physical  and 
mental  are  forgotten  and  overlooked.  The  atrophy 
of  one  elemental  force  in  man  retards  and  keeps  in 
bounds  all  others.  The  solidarity  of  the  race  de- 
mands the  symmetrical  development  of  the  indi- 
vidual. But  the  Church  in  and  through  all  her  or- 
ganizations proceeds  upon  the  hypothesis,  and  a 
natural  and  reasonable  one,  that  if  we  seek  the  king- 
dom of  the  soul  first,  all  other  kingdoms  will  be 
developed  upon  a  higher  plan.  This  is  in  line  with 
the  thought  of  the  Great  Teacher,  who  taught  we 
should  seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  all  other 
necessary  things  would  be  added. 

The  words  teacher  and  curriculum  will  suggest 
some  things  we  wish  to  say  concerning  the  Bible 
school.  At  first  thought  this  may  seem  to  omit  two 
very  necessary  and  important  factors  of  the  school, 
namely,  the  superintendent  and  the  method  of  teach- 
ing. But  we  believe  these  can  be  most  naturally 
and  helpfully  considered  under  the  above  caption — 
teacher  and  curriculum. 

It  is  a  great  mistake  to  suppose  one  can  be  a 


OP   THE  CHILD. 37 

successful  superintendent  and  yet  be  an  inefficient 
teacher.  He  must  know  how  to  teach  and  what  to 
teach  the  many,  in  order  that  he  may  make  a  wise 
selection  of  individuals  who  are  to  give  instruction 
to  the  few.  We  can  therefore  logically  consider 
the  superintendent  from  the  point  of  view  of  teach- 
er. Just  here  it  may  be  well  to  say  a  word  with  spe-i 
cial  reference  to  salaried  superintendents  and  teach- 
ers. This  depends.  The  first  consideration  is 
competency.  This  is  the  central  sun.  Around  it 
the  smaller  planets  ought  to  revolve  naturally,  if 
not  noiselessly.  Where  the  school  is  large  and  the 
financial  ability  warrants  it,  there  ought  to  be  at 
least  one  salaried  instructor.  Perhaps  all  things 
considered,  this  should  be  the  superintendent.  If 
we  are  to  make  our  Bible  schools  equal  to  the  de- 
mands and  opportunities  of  the  time,  somebody  must 
give  special  and  undivided  attention  to  the  work. 
The  fact  is  most  of  the  schools  must  depend  upon 
the  volunteer  and  unpaid.  But  simply  because  this 
is  true,  we  ought  not  be  perfectly  content  just  to 
let  anybody  and  everybody  teach.  We  can  at  least 
make  an  effort  to  secure  more  efficient  and  compe- 
tent teachers.  Where  the  financial  ability  does  not 


38  NORMAL  TRAINING 

warrant  even  one  salaried   instructor  for  all  the 
time,  and  yet  where  there  is  a  dearth  of  qualified 
teachers,  could  not  the  problem  be  partially  solved 
in  this  way:  Let  the  church  secure  the  services  of 
a  specialist  in  Bible  school  work — one  who  is  con- 
versant with  the  best  methods  and  the  brightest  and 
best  ideas — to  be  a  teacher  of  teachers.  Even  though 
this  could  only  be  afforded  for  a  short  time,  yet 
much  good  could  be  accomplished.    The  curriculum 
could  be  outlined,  new  interest  created,  teachers 
somewhat  better  equipped,  and  perhaps  best  of  all, 
the  Church  through  her  Bible  school  would  be  per- 
forming her  natural  and  normal  function,  namely, 
teaching.    We  need  to  use  the  apostolic  and  com- 
mon-sense method  of  dealing  primarily  and  intelli- 
gently with  the  individual.    The  Bible  school  affords 
this  splendid  opportunity.     Let  us  use  it  for  this 
purpose.     But  before  the  best  results  can  be  se- 
cured we  must  realize  that  the  Bible  school  is  in 
verity  the  Church's  school,  and  not  the  Church's 
playground,  unless  good,  serious,  honest  work  be 
considered  play.    It  is  the  waste  seen  on  every  hand 
with  which  we  must  deal.     And  there  is  a  wastq 
of  time,  talent,  energy  in  our  present-day  religious 


OF  THE  CHILD.  39 

training.  Can  the  Church  honorably  remain  con- 
tent to  do  her  work  in  a  poor  way,  when  it  might 
be  done  and  ought  to  be  done  in  such  a  way  as  to 
enlist  the  interest  of  the  teacher,  pupil  and  commun- 
ity? We  must  make  the  work  contagious. 

Our  thought  is  not  to  criticize  and  condemn  the 
Bible  school.  Rather  to  take  it  as  it  is,  be  thankful 
for  the  good  accomplished  in  the  past  and  plan  as 
well  as  pray  for  better  things  for  the  future.  We 
need  first  to  appreciate  its  worth.  Then  perhaps  we 
will  make  such  changes,  with  new  methods,  better 
prepared  teachers,  separate  class  rooms,  a  graded 
curriculum  and  all  necessary  additions  and  im- 
provements as  the  importance  of  the  work  demands. 

If  the  "key  to  the  hard  problem  of  evang'eliza- 
tion  lies  in  the  puny  hand  of  the  little  child,"  we 
must  give  the  hand  a  chance  to  grow  strong  and 
big.  While  nothing  can  be  devised  to  take  the  place 
of  the  Bible  school,  it  nevertheless  needs  to  be  en- 
larged and  improved  to  meet  the  demands  of  to- 
day, not  of  yesterday. 

"New  occasions  teach  new  duties; 

Time  makes  ancient  good  uncouth; 
They  must  upward  still  and  onward, 


40 NORMAL  TRAINING 

Who  would  keep  abreast  of  truth; 
Lo,  before  us  gleam  her  camp  fires! 

We  ourselves  must  pilgrims  be, 
Launch  our  Mayflower,  and  steer  boldly 

Through  the  desperate  winter  sea, 
Nor  attempt  the  Future's  portal 

With  the  Past's  blood-rusted  key." 

The  teacher  must  not  only  be  able  to  impart 
truth;  a  knowledge  of  the  child  is  of  primary  im- 
portance. This  is  one  of  the  first  needs,  even  as  it 
is  one  of  the  first  demands  of  religious  pedagogy, 
whether  we  accept  Pestalozzi's  sense  perception  the- 
ory of  education,  or  Froebel's  thought  of  the  re- 
generation of  the  affections.  This  knowledge  may 
come  through  scientific  study  or  it  may  be  empirical. 
Perhaps  it  will  be  better  if  study  and  experience 
are  happily  combined.  Let  us  illustrate :  It  is  stated 
on  pretty  good  authority  that  the  nations  which  have 
the  most  toys  have  the  most  individuality,  ideality 
and  heroism.  And  nations  that  have  become  famous 
"by  and  through  their  men  and  women  supplied  their 
infants  with  toys.  In  other  words,  toys  possess  an 
educational  value,  and  therefore  should  be  made  to 
serve  a  double  purpose — pleasure  and  character 
building.  Granville,  Massachusetts,  is  a  village  of 


OP   THE   CHILD. 41 

scarcely  a  thousand  people,  and  yet  it  is  the  greatest 
toy  drum  town  in  America.  Why  is  this? 
James  F.  Cooley,  the  founder,  said :  "The  toy  drum 
business  ought  to  be  profitable,  because  as  long  as 
there  are  boys,  there  is  sure  to  be  a  demand  for 
toys."  Now,  just  how  he  got  this  kind  of  knowl- 
edge I  do  not  know.  Perhaps  he  took  a  look  into 
his  own  heart.  He  may  have  been  a  close  observer 
of  boys.  One  thing  is  certain,  he  knew  the  boy 
heart.  This  led  him  to  see  the  commercial  value 
of  the  toy  drum.  He  may  not  have  cared  in  the 
least  for  the  patriotic  and  educational  value  of  the 
drum.  But  he  saw  what  he  wanted  to  see.  The 
commercial  value  was  clear  to  him.  Here  is  the 
question:  Are  teachers  just  as  anxious  to  know  the 
child  from  a  religious  point  of  view,  as  the  business 
man  from  the  commercial  point  of  view?  If  not, 
why  not?  When  this  passion  becomes  strong  we 
will  know  the  child,  at  least  we  will  make  an  intelli- 
gent effort.  Our  knowledge  may  come  through 
scientific  study  and  every  day  experience ;  but  it  will 
come.  This  is  the  primary  consideration. 

One  can  not  know  the  child  and  then  place  a 
low  valuation  on  what  may  fitly  be  called  the  child's 


42 NORMAL  TRAINING 

moods.  Our  moods  our  angels  are ;  yes,  our  moods 
our  demons  are !  One  word  at  the  right  time  is  of 
more  real  value  than  nine  at  the  wrong  time.  Pa- 
ents  and  teachers  are  not  simply  to  take  advantage 
of  these  receptive  moods  or  moments — they  should 
create  them.  A  work  like  this  takes  more  time 
and  infinitely  more  patience.  Elizabeth  Harrison, 
in  her  helpful  work,  "A  Study  of  Child  Nature," 
says:  "When  her  child  is  in  the  loving  mood 
let  the  mother  ask  of  him  some  little  service,  very 
slight  at  first,  but  enough  to  make  him  put  forth 
an  effort  to  aid  her.  Thus  can  she  transform  the 
mere  selfish  love  of  the  child  into  the  beginning  of 
that  spiritual  love  which  Christ  commanded  in  the 
words,  'If  ye  love  me,  keep  my  commandments/  " 
The  same  result  can  be  secured  by  a  wise,  patient, 
thoughtful  teacher. 

Some  teachers  have  a  genius  for  story  telling. 
They  do  not  moralize.  It  is  both  common  sense  and 
pedagogical  to  let  the  story  teach  and  impress  its 
own  lesson.  Perhaps  we  preachers  are  guilty  just 
here.  Very  few  of  us  know  how  to  tell  a  Bible 
story  either  to  a  child  or  an  adult  in  an  intensely 
interesting  way.  If  we  tell  one  we  usually  spoil 


OF   THE   CHILD.  43 

the  effect  by  moralizing.  Here  are  some  wise  words 
by  Henry  Van  Dyke:  "Lord,  let  me  never  tag  a 
moral  to  a  story  nor  tell  a  story  without  a  meaning." 

The  child  is  able  to  appreciate  the  ethical  before 
the  spiritual.  The  acts  rather  than  the  teachings  of 
Christ  are  better  suited  to  the  child  mind.  The  wise 
and  interested  teacher  will  make  an  attempt  to 
know  such  facts  as  these  and  make  his  plans  and 
prepare  his  work  accordingly.  When  the  age  of 
childhood  begins  to  blend  with  the  adolescent  life, 
then  the  spiritual  light  is  seen  above  the  horizon. 
This  is  the  strategic  moment  for  teaching  that  is 
spiritual  and  altruistic.  "This  is  the  age,"  says 
G.  Stanley  Hall,  "of  the  New  Testament."  Christ 
makes  his  strongest  appeal  to  the  boy  and  girl  just 
at  this  time. 

The  atmosphere  of  a  class  room  or  a  Bible  school 
has  much  to  do  with  securing  interest  and  awaken- 
ing latent  enthusiasm.  I  have  special  reference  to 
the  atmosphere  created  by  a  good,  strong,  whole- 
some personality.  Nagging,  scolding,  fault-finding 
teachers  should  be  asked  to  resign  or  else  suffer 
themselves  banished  to  some  foreign  land.  I  am 
not  so  sure  but  what  the  first  thought  of  the  teacher 


44 NORMAL   TRAINING 

should  be  to  create  an  atmosphere  and  then  teach 
the  lesson.  Here  is  where  personality  wields  such 
an  influence.  Even  the  tramp  recognizes  its  value. 
By  making  the  life  of  the  road  delightful  and  out  of 
the  ordinary,  he  wins  his  prushun.  It  is  personality 
put  to  a  bad  use,  it  is  true;  but  it  is  personality. 
In  this  realm  Christ  excelled.  But  he  used  his 
power  for  good.  By  the  sheer  force  of  his  mag- 
nificent personality  Christ  prepared  the  way,  cre- 
ated the  atmosphere.  No  wonder  the  fishermen 
left  their  boats  and  followed  him. 

Teachers  should  be  selected  with  special  refer- 
ence to  the  classes.  The  infant  and  primary  classes 
can  be  most  effectively  used  with  women  as  teach- 
ers. From  six  to  ten  or  twelve  it  does  not  matter 
so  much  whether  the  teacher  be  a  man  or  woman. 
Fitness  is  the  prime  requisite.  But  when  boys  and 
girls  of  adolescent  life  are  to  be  taught,  and  success- 
fully taught,  special  care  must  be  made  in  the  se- 
lection of  teachers.  For  boys  it  is  well  to  have  a 
man  as  teacher,  of  an  athletic  sort  of  mold,  who 
makes  an  appeal  because  of  manliness  and  his 
knowledge  of  their  affairs.  The  boy  is  then  a  hero- 
worshiper.  He  needs  the  inspiration  of  the  manlier 


OP   THE   CHILD.  45 

type  of  religion.  All  honor  to  our  faithful  and  con- 
secrated women,  but  they  are  not  best  fitted  to 
teach  the  critical,  close-observing  boy.  Even  so 
at  this  time  in  the  girl's  life.  She  should  have  a 
wise,  patient,  sympathetic  woman  as  teacher.  The 
woman  knows  how,  or  at  least  ought  to  know  how, 
to  get  close  to  the  girl's  heart  in  this  hour  of  change 
in  her  life. 

If  the  teacher  be  competent,  both  from  the  point 
of  view  of  knowledge  of  the  subject  and  the  sub- 
ject matter,  I  am  not  sure  there  is  much  need  for  a 
talk  on  methods.  The  wise  teacher  will  use  the 
method  or  methods  best  fitted  for  the  individual. 
I  believe,  so  far  as  possible,  the  four  methods  of 
teaching  should  be  used,  namely,  the  recitation, 
the  conversation,  the  lecture,  and  the  seminary 
method.  But  I  have  not  the  time  to  speak  of  the 
relative  value  of  each.  But  this  one  thing  I  want  to 
plead  for — in  the  presentation  of  Bible  truths,  espe- 
cially mooted,  doctrinal,  philosophical  questions, 
we  should  endeavor,  so  far  as  possible,  to  present 
such  thoughts  from  the  point  of  view  of  truth  rather 
than  this  is  what  "our  Church"  teaches,  or  what 
"we  believe."  It  is  the  right  way  and  much  fairer 


46 NORMAL  TRAINING 

to  both  the  child  and  God.  It  also  leaves  the  teacher 
with  more  self-respect.  The  child  will  accept  it 
then  because  it  is  true.  Let  conviction  come  through 
truth  spoken  in  love.  In  this  way  we  will  banish 
prejudice.  Let  us  have  a  little  more  confidence  in 
God  to  bring  conviction '  through  his  truth  than 
through  our  conception  or  interpretation  of  it.  I 
consider  this  of  vital  importance.  Bring  them  to 
God,  teach  them  the  way,  help  them  to  accept 
Christ,  inspire  them  to  live  serviceable  and  un- 
selfish lives  in  a  selfish  world.  Teach  them  to  give 
rather  than  to  get,  to  have  but  not  to  hold,  to  min- 
ister and  not  wait  to  be  ministered  unto.  This  is 
the  fine  art  of  teaching.  This  is  the  poetry  of  our 
prose  life. 

One  of  the  most  difficult  problems  confronting 
us  to-day  in  the  Bible  school  is  the  question  of 
curriculum.  Here  it  is  much  easier  to  find  fault 
than  to  find  a  way  out  of  the  wilderness ;  much 
easier  to  condemn  than  to  convert.  But  so  vital  a 
matter  can  not  be  neglected  simply  because  it  is 
difficult.  And  yet  perhaps  this  is  a  place  where 
fools  rush  in  where  angels  fear  to  tread. 

In  the  study  of  the  curriculum  there  are  many 


OF   THH  CHILD. 47 

important  questions  to  be  considered.  Is  the  school 
to  be  graded  or  left  to  a  careless,  haphazard  ar- 
rangement? Are  we  to  teach  the  Bible  only,  or 
make  the  Bible  our  major  and  affiliated  studies  our 
minor?  Are  we  to  have  the  entire  school  use  the 
same  lesson  week  by  week,  or  shall  we  so  arrange 
the  curriculum  that  each  class  may  have  the  line 
of  thought  presented  that  is  best  suited,  most  in- 
teresting, most  easily  grasped,  longest  remembered, 
and  in  line  with  the  child's  natural  and  normal 
growth?  These  are  a  few  of  the  problems  to  be 
solved  in  the  successful  arrangement  of  the  school's 
curriculum. 

The  failure  to  appreciate  the  value  of  both  the 
child  and  the  Bible  school  has  led  to  this  careless, 
haphazard,  and  therefore  uninteresting  and  often 
uninviting,  arrangement  of  the  course  of  study. 
Lack  of  system  has  helped  to  create  and  develop 
lack  of  interest  and  enthusiasm  with  teacher  and 
pupil.  Can  we  with  our  present  appreciation  of  the 
child's  worth,  coupled  with  the  educational  value 
of  the  Bible  school,  be  satisfied  to  let  slipshod  and 
imperfect  methods  stand  forever  in  the  way  of  the 
high  and  holy  work  that  might  be  accomplished 


48  NORMAL  TRAINING 

with  improved  methods — methods  that  would  give 
a  better  system?  Nobody  claims  the  system  is  the 
solution.  It  can  only  be  a  help  in  the  solution.  But 
we  ought  to  use  it  for  all  it  is  worth,  and  not  be 
eontent  with  anything  short  of  the  best. 

Perhaps  we  can  most  easily  sense  this  need 
when  we  remember  the  gradual  growth  and  re- 
markable changes  incident  to  our  development  from 
childhood  to  manhood  and  womanhood.  And  the 
graded  school  simply  endeavors  to  meet  the  need 
and  make  the  work  more  efficient.  If  we  take  the 
public  school  as  a  suggestive  example,  if  not  a 
model,  we  will  receive  some  light  on  the  problem 
and  some  help  in  solution.  Here  we  find  an  effort 
made  to  adapt  the  course  of  study  to  the  natural 
development  and  peculiar  needs  of  the  child.  When 
one  grade  has  been  successfully  passed,  there  is 
promotion  to  a  higher  grade.  In  this  way  the  child 
is  encouraged  and  stimulated  by  promotion,  the 
unity  of  education  is  emphasized,  the  'different 
rooms  are  bound  closely  and  indissolubly  together, 
and  a  strong  and  necessary  esprit  de  corps  is  cre- 
ated. I  am  afraid  this  is  verv  little  considered  in 
Bible  school  work.  And  yet  it  is  very  necessary. 


OP   THE   CHILD. 49 

In  this  way  we  shall  be  equal  to  our  day  and  oppor- 
tunity. Cosmos  will  be  born  from  chaos.  Some 
Moses  to  lead  us  out  of  our  educational  wilderness 
is  a  great  need  in  our  Bible  school  work. 

May  I  here  in  all  kindness  make  a  criticism  of 
our  training,  or  rather  our  lack  of  proper  adjust- 
ment of  the  curriculum  in  theological  schools  and 
Bible  colleges?  Perhaps  there  is  not  too  much  em- 
phasis put  on  the  doctrinal  content  and  saving  power 
of  the  Gospel,  but  of  this  I  am  quite  sure — too  little 
emphasis  is  put  on  that  kind  of  education  which 
fits  and  prepares  the  minister  to  deal  intelligently 
and  successfully  with  social  problems  and  to  plan 
for  larger  and  better  things  in  the  church.  Very 
many  ministers  are  unable  to  be  successful  leaders 
simply  because  they  have  not  been  correctly  led. 
They  can  not  be  apostles  of  needed  reforms  because 
in  the  first  place  they  do  not  realize  the  need,  and 
in  the  second  place  they  are  not  able  to  meet  the 
need  when  it  is  made  clear.  Let  our  curriculum 
be  corrected  in  the  college  and  this  will  be  a  step 
toward  the  proper  adjustment  in  the  Bible  school. 
A  specialist  in  Bible  school  work  and  in  church 
work  in  general  is  a  present  day  need  in  the  theo- 


50 NORMAL  TRAINING 

logical  seminary  and  Bible  college.  Yale  Uni- 
versity has  made  a  move  in  the  right  direction  by 
establishing  the  chair  of  the  theory  and  practice  of 
missions.  I  plead,  not  only  for  a  better  understand- 
ing and  a  higher  appreciation  of  the  Book,  but  of 
the  child  and  the  man.  One  writer  puts  this  need 
very  deftly  and  naively:  "We  know  much  about 
Origen  and  Tertullian,  but  we  are  very  ignorant  of 
Sam  and  Jim."  I  come  to  speak  a  good  word  for 
Sam  and  Jim. 

Shall  we  use  the  Bible  and  the  Bible  alone  in 
the  school,  or  shall  we  make  our  field  of  study 
larger  ?  I  want  here  to  add  my  appreciation  of  the 
Bible.  Whether  or  not  it  has  a  Christian  and  non- 
Christian  element,  as  Professor  Clark  avers,  I  be- 
lieve the  Bible  will  one  day  prove  its  divine  origin 
pedagogy,  as  well  as  the  latest  and  best  word  on 
the  most  scientific  treatise  on  psychology,  the  ablest 
presentation  of  ethics,  the  most  satisfactory  book  on 
pedagogy,  as  well  as  the  latest  and  best  work  on 
religion.  When  correctly  interpreted,  properly  un- 
derstood and  scientifically  used,  these  conclusions 
are  almost  certain.  Why?  Because  it  deals,  not  in 
abstract  reasoning,  but  speaks  through  principles 


OP   THE   CHILD.  51 

and  persons.  The  day  will  come  when  we  will  not 
worship  the  Bible  as  a  fetish,  but  use  it  as  intended, 
as  the  Book  of  Life.  But  are  we  to  use  nothing 
else  in  our  Bible  school,  even  though  it  be  of  first 
importance?  Not  if  we  want  to  secure  the  best 
results.  Many  of  our  schools  endeavor  to  teach 
history  without  geography.  But  the  Creator  united 
these  two.  They  are  married  in  the  Lord.  And 
what  the  Lord  hath  joined  together  let  no  careless 
preacher,  neither  ignorant  superintendent  nor  indif- 
ferent teacher  put  asunder.  But  in  addition  to  geog- 
raphy we  need  to  add  to  our  curriculum  Church 
history.  It  might  not  be  amiss  to  add  secular  his- 
tory. We  need  to  study  contemporaneous  events 
together  and  not  separately.  We  should  give  more 
thought  to  art.  Here  is  one  of  the  richest  and  most 
fruitful  fields  of  study,  even  as  it  is  one  of  the  most 
delightful.  There  is  hardly  a  Bible  incident  that 
can  not  be  presented  and  enforced  by  means  of 
pictures.  One  good  look  at  the  Sistine  Madonna 
will  create  more  interest  and  love  for  the  mother 
and  the  child  Jesus  than  an  hour's  uninteresting 
homily.  The  wise  teacher  sends  truth  home  to  the 
mind  and  heart  of  the  child  by  eye-gate,  as  well  as 


52  NORMAL  TRAINING 

ear-gate.  Whether  art  should  be  made  a  part  of 
the  curriculum  may  be  a  question,  but  that  art  is  a 
great  help  in  the  proper  and  effective  presentation 
of  truth  ought  to  be  patent  to  everybody. 

Are  we  to  have  the  entire  school  use  the  same 
course  of  study,  or  shall  we  have  such  a  curriculum 
as  will  be  best  adapted  to  the  child  and  the  class? 
Undoubtedly  the  International  System  has  a  cer- 
tain hold  upon  us.  It  has  many  good  features. 
There  is  an  inspiration  in  numbers.  We  are  living 
in  an  age  of  large  things,  and  to  feel  the  pulse  beat 
of  the  whole  Christian  world  once  in  every  seven 
days  is  not  a  bad  custom.  If  our  International 
System  can  be  developed  along  sound,  sane,  scien- 
tific, pedagogical  lines,  then  let  us  use  it.  If  not, 
we  must  in  justice  to  the  child,  adolescent  and  adult 
find  a  better  way.  The  historical  method  of  Bible 
study,  the  intelligent  effort  being  made  to  under- 
stand the  content  of  the  child  mind,  that  the  point 
of  contact  in  teaching  may  be  found,  the  common 
sense  and  pedagogical  value  of  giving  to  each  child 
and  adolescent  the  mental  and  spiritual  food  nec- 
essary to  the  best,  most  natural,  most  wholesome 
development  will  be  the  means  of  bringing  about 


OF   THE   CHILD. S3 

such  educational  reforms  in  the  Bible  school  as  will 
work  marvelously  for  the  future  success  and  glory 
of  the  Church  and  the  Church's  school.  We  must 
realize  that  the  time  for  either  embalming  or  en- 
tombing truth  has  passed.  We  are  now  standing 
with  radiant  faces  and  glad  hearts  on  the  glorious 
resurrection  morn,  ready  for  any  revelation  that 
will  bring  us  nearer  the  goal  of  our  endeavor.  The 
voice  of  the  Great  Teacher  is  heard:  "Ye  shall 
know  the  truth  and  the  truth  shall  make  you  free. 
If  the  Son  therefore  shall  make  you  free,  ye  shall 
be  free  indeed." 

With  many  of  these  innovations  suggested  you 
may  feel  unconcerned,  indifferent  and  skeptical. 
Others  you  may  wish  to  bury  out  of  sight  of  men 
and  angels.  Off  the  coast  of  San  Francisco  a  few 
days  ago  some  ammunition  belonging  to  the  gov- 
ernment was  consigned  to  the  ocean  from  the  good 
ship  Slocum.  This  was  the  reason  given :  "Too  old 
to  use  and  too  dangerous  to  give  away."  If  such 
be  the  case,  then  on  with  the  burial.  But  if,  on 
the  other  hand  they  be  true,  however  deep  they 
may  be  buried  there  will  be  for  them  an  Easter 
morn. 


54 NORMAL  TRAINING 

We  are  told  there  is  a  certain  column  in  the  wall 
of  Jerusalem,  where  Mohammed  will  at  some  future 
day  seat  himself  to  pass  judgment  on  the  world. 
From  this  point  there  will  be  stretched  across  the 
intervening  valley  to  the  Mount  of  Olives  a  bridge 
as  narrow  as  a  Damascus  sword.  Upon  this  bridge 
every  one  must  walk  as  a  test  of  orthodoxy.  If 
the  philippics  we  read  now  and  then  represent  real 
conditions,  there  are  at  least  a  few  present-day  the- 
ologians who  would  enjoy  building  a  bridge  of  like 
dimensions.  Of  course  every  Moslem  will  pass 
over  the  bridge  in  safety.  Those  of  other  faiths 
and  beliefs  will  fall  into  the  valley  below  and  thus 
have  a  good  start  on  the  way  to  Avernus.  Per- 
sonally I  do  not  care  whether  we  use  old  methods 
or  new  methods ;  whether  we  teach  old  truths  or 
new  truths  ;  whether  we  become  apostles  and  proph- 
ets of  the  old  theology  or  the  new  theology.  But 
I  do  care  that  we  have  the  things  which  are  true. 
I  want  us  to  build  a  bridge  of  truth  and  love  so 
wide  and  strong  that  all  may  walk  from  the  Jerusa- 
lem of  Childhood  to  the  Olivet  of  Manhood  and 
Womanhood.  Aye,  that  not  one  shall  fall,  but  that 
all  shall  rise ;  not  one  be  lost,  but  all  find  a  home  at 


OP    THH   CHILD.  55 

last  in  the  Father's  house.  It  is  for  the  proper  edu- 
cation of  the  child  that  I  plead.  When  we  enter 
the  holy  of  holies  of  childhood  we  are  filled  with  a 
sense  of  our  unworthiness.  This  seems  to  be  a  work 
only  angels  are  fitted  to  do.  But  God  hath  given  it 
to  us.  Let  us  acquit  ourselves  like  men.  Let  us 
not  disappoint  God.  Do  we  truly  love  and  can  we 
faithfully  serve  the  Babe  in  the  Bethlehem  manger 
unless  we  respond  to  the  need  and  the  call  of  the 
child? 


BOOKS    FOR    BIBLE    SCHOOL    WORK 
AND    WORKERS. 


"The    Principles    of    Psychology,"    William 
James. 

"Adolescence,"   President   G.   Stanley   Hall. 

"The  Psychology  of  Religion,"  E.  D.  Star- 
buck. 

"The  Religion  of  a  Mature  Mind,"  George 
A.    Coe. 

"  The  Spiritual  Life,"  George  A.  Coe. 

"The    Natural    Way    in    Moral    Training," 
Patterson  DuBois. 

"Beckonings   From   Little   Hands,"   Patter- 
son DuBois. 

"The  Point  of  Contact  in  Teaching,"  Pat- 
terson DuBois. 

"Christian  Nurture,"  Horace  Bushnell. 

"The   Boy   Problem,"  William   Byron    For- 
bush. 


57 


"A  Study  of  Child  Nature,"  Elizabeth  Har- 
rison. 

"Teaching  and  Teachers,"  H.  Clay  Trum- 
bull. 

"An  Outline  of  a  Bible  School  Curri- 
culum," G.  W.  Pease. 

"Principles  of  Religious  Education,"  by 
several  writers. 

"The  Seven  Laws  of  Teaching,"  John  M. 
Gregory. 

"Picture  Work,"  Walter  L.  Hervey. 

"Principles  and  Ideals  for  the  Sunday- 
school,"  Burton  and  Mathews. 

"Introduction  to  the  Bible  for  Teachers 
of  Children,"  Georgia  Louise  Chamberlin. 

"An  Historical  Geography  of  Palestine," 
George  Adam  Smith. 

"The  Boyhood  of  Jesus  and  Its  Bearings 
Upon  Religious  Pedagogy,"  William  Byron 
Forbush. 


58 


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